WEST ALLIS, Wisc — A few weeks ago, we spoke with Ana Gonzalez, the owner of Piece of Love Bakery in West Allis.
She was recovering from a devastating hit-and-run that had shut down her business for a few months.
While there, our Elaine Rojas-Castillo met Guiller Torrijos.
Torrijos owns Mr. Coco’s Antojitos Locos, another Mexican food truck just down the road from Piece of Love that wanted to support her fellow business owner and create a space for other Latino business owners to thrive in the community.
Watch: Latino small business owners hope to grow and build community in West Allis
“We want them to know our culture. We want them to know our culture for what it is and to have that appreciation for what we have to offer,” said Torrijos.
That passion pushed Torrijos to open up her truck this spring.
“We always knew we wanted our own business, our food truck, but we didn't just want tacos, because there's a lot of taquerias, and they're amazing, but we wanted to add something different, some diversity, into the community here in West Allis,” said Torrijos.
Customers like Liliana Ramirez are definitely starting to notice.
“Everybody has different backgrounds, there's a lot of culture and sometimes, we just don't appreciate it. We tend to forget about it. So, it's really important for people just to show who they are and be proud and I think what they're doing is just amazing,” said Ramirez.
Torrijos says she has also been trying to encourage other Latino entrepreneurs to join her.
Next week, she will be meeting with the head of the West Allis Neighborhood Association to discuss ways to build up the area near 60th and Burnham and welcome a new era of success in her hometown.
“If we can make something where we can work together to bring up our business and encourage others to bring business to our community, it's just going to help our community, and ourselves as well,” said Torrijos.
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